Ash tray with automatic cleaning



1, 1948. w m R 2,442,715

ASH TRAY WITH AUTOMATIC CLEANING Filed Jan. 30,1939

Patented June 1, 1948 ASH TRAY WITH AUTOMATIC CLEANING Leo Weinberger, Le Vesinet, Seine-et-Oise,

France Application January 30, 1939, Serial No. 253,711 In France August 4, 1938 Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August 4, 1958 6 Claims.

An ash-tray is generally formed by a small tray made of any material on which smokers deposit the ash of their cigars or cigarette ends.

The device is very simple, but it ofiers some drawbacks: the ash which is carried away by the slightest draught is deposited in fine dust on the furniture, the smell that is emitted by imperfectly burnt old tobacco is disagreeable, and then, it must be admitted that after a few days use, the cleanliness of the ash-tray becomes doubtful.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks; said invention is realized by means of an apparatus comprising:

A movable dish adapted to rotate about a spindle mounted on a base, an extinguisher causing the extinction of the cigarette ends, and a magazine into which the ashes, remains of cigars, cigarettes, etc., are retracted.

The carrying away of these residues is effected by the rotating dish which is provided with one or a plurality of circular recesses in which the residues are deposited by the smoker.

A fixed cover, which is rigidly secured to the base, closes and completes the ash magazine. It is furthermore provided with special brushes which ensure the cleaning during the rotation of the rotatable dish and keep the recesses of the ash-tray in a state of perfect cleanliness.

The accompanying drawing shows one embodiment of the invention by way of example where- Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the ash-tray.

Fig. 2 is a view taken in part on line A-E and in part on line E-D of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the elements of the device taken apart.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line B-C of Figure 3 showing the detail of the cleaning brushes.

Fig. 5 shows a section of the movable rods of the extinguishers.

Figs. 1 and 2 enable a clear idea to be obtained of the method of assembling and of operating the ash-tray.

At the centre of the disk I forming the base of the apparatus, is mounted a threaded shaft 8 which is held fixed by a block 9, carried by the base.

About said shaft is loosely mounted the rotatable tray 2 which turns about the block l0 mounted on the threadedshaft.

The rotating tray consists of a dish provided with one or a plurality of concentric recesses 20; the portion of the tray between said recesses rest- 2 ing on rolling rollers 4 mounted on supporting bearings 5 which are fixed on the base.

Said rollers enable the dish to rotate, lateral shifting movement being prevented by the block l0, about which it fits.

Above the rotating dish, is mounted and held fixed between the blocks [0 and II, a semicircular plate 6 which forms a cover and covers a part of the rotating dish; for example one half. The edges of the fixed plate are faced with small cord or thread of asbestos 2| in order to provide a tight joint between the tray and the cover.

Said cover should be arranged as close as possible to the rotating dish without touching same, its exact position being obtained by adjusting the blocks I0 and II vertically upon the shaft 8.

One of the ends of the semicircular plate 6 carries two small brush-carrier plates or tongues l, which may be formed integral with the plate or separate therefrom and rigidly secured thereto.

These brush-holders (Fig. 4) are fitted with brushes 22 made of asbestos sheet, card or thread, or any other non-combustible material, and serve to clean the tray, when the tray is turned about the block 10.

The extinguisher consists of a removable plate l3, for example of substantially trapezoidal shape, which is provided on its lateral edges with two screens l5 conforming to the transverse shape of the recesses in the tray fitting snugly therein.

Said extinguisher can be raised, removed. or displaced by means of the knob l4.

It carries push rods I"! which slide in tubes it and have upper heads I9 to limit their downward movement, by resting on the plate It of the extinguisher. At its lower end each push rod carries a head or block I8 which is arcuate trans. versely and wide enough to conform to the transverse curvature of the groove or recess resisting the same and which may also be of sufficient length to embrace longitudinally the whole of the part of the recess covered by the extinguisher.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows;

A smoker wishing to get rid of a cigarette end, lifts the extinguisher by means of the knob l4, and deposits his cigarette end in the recess of the tray. Having done this, he replaces the extinguisher in position to cover the residue which has been deposited. When the smoker considers that the quantity of residues deposited under the extinguisher is sufficient, he lifts the extinguisher and pushes one of the projections 3 to impart a rotary movement to the movable dish in a clockwise direction. The residues are thus carried along into the covered part of the ashtray, that is to say the magazine, and further clockwise movement of the dish will not carry the residues from under the cover, as they are retained under the cover by the brush plate parts I. 7

During thearotation, the brushes 22-rub-against the bottom of the recesses and clean the same;

The method of operating the extinguisher is g as follows: After the smoker has deposited a cigarette end in a recess and replaced the extinr guisher in position, the inner heads of the push' rods are lifted and, under thesetconditionsiprem the block-clamping the cover to firmly hold the cover stationary in covering relation to the dish for atport'ion of the. circumference thereof, tongues sure is applied by means of the knob 14, thereby assisting and activating the extinction. of the.

burning materials. In addition, pressure may also be applied to the heads is to depress thepush' rods I! and accelerate the extinctions In the description which has just been mada' extending downwardly from one side of said cover into said channels and constituting barriers for the channels, the channels being unobstructed at the other side of the cover whereby material in the; channels may be moved under the cover when dish is turned in one direction.

it has been stated that the extinguisher isremov:

able and is to be removed and placed aside during rotation.

But without. making surficientl'y' important modifications in. the whole arrangement for it to'benecessary to'define them i-n a drawing, the extinguisher could be movably secured to the whole arrangement, for example by means of a flexible fastening or apivoted armconnecting it to the spindle" or the ash-tray and enabling it. to be returned to its, position by tilting and by lateral displacement.

It is obvious that in order to empty and clean the magazine, it suffices to rotate the movable dish in a counterclockwise direction.

It will be understood that theinvention' is not limited to the specific description and illustration which have just been made by way oi example and that modifications of shapes and of real"- ization' based on thesame principles may be made within the scope of' the invention.

I clam:

1. In an ash tray, a: rotatably mounted dish having a circumferentially extending channel for receiving ashes and ends of cigars and cigarettes; a cover fixedly mounted" over said dish in covering relation to the channel for aportion of the circumference of the dish, a" tongue depending fromsaid' cover at one end, thereof into the channel and constituting a barrier across the-channel, the other end of the space under the cover being unobstructed, and a wiper carried bysaid I tongue and projecting from margins thereof for engaging walls of the; channel and cleaning the same when the, dish is turned.

2; In an; ash tray, a base, a stem rising from said; base, a dish rotatableabout the stem over the base, a cover for covering, said dish for aportion of the circumferencethereof barrier means depending from said cover and engaging in said dish for holding material in the dish under the cover when the dish is turned in one direction, means for, cleaning walls of the dish as the dish isturned, said cover; being fixedly mounted upon said stem, and means for rotating said dish to transport ashesand cigars and cigarettes under the cover. w

3. In an ash tray, a base; a, stem rising from said base; a block threaded upon said stem, a

4. In an ash tray, a dish, means for rotatably supporting said dish, the dish being formed with concentric channels open at their tops, a cover fixedly mounted over said dish in close proximity thereto and extending circumferentially of the dish in closing relation to the channels for only a portionof the circumference of the dish, barriers depending from one side of the cover into said channels for blocking the channels, the portions of the channels under the cover being unobstructed at the other side of the cover whereby material in the channels may be moved under the cover when the cover is turned.

5. Inan ash tray, a dish, means for rotatably supporting said dish,.a stationary cover over said dish xtending only a portion of the circumference of the dish, a barrier depending from said cover and into th dish at one. side of the cover; the space in the dish under the cover being unobstructed at the other side of the cover whereby material in the dish may be moved under the cover by turning the dish in one direction, and means carried by said barrier for cleaning wallsof the dish as the dish is turned.

6. In an ashtray, a. dish, a cover, said cover extending for only a portion of the circumference of the dish and one being stationary and the other rotatable relative to the stationary one, a barrier depending. from said cover into said dish at. one side of the cover, space under the cover being unobstructed. at the other side of the cover.

LEO WEINBERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in' the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,593,900 Erikson July 27, 1926 1,887,696 Meyer Nov. 15, *1932 1,927,565 Grunwald Sept. 19, 1933 2,111,480 Pawlitschek Mar. 15, 1938 FGREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 446,647 Great Britain Mar. 4,v 1936 788,473 France July 29, 1935 

